Folding automobile oil-gage.



T. 0. LUCE.

FOLDING AUTOMOBILE OIL GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. [M39122 Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

""- its test hole 6 the lower oil cock which is'of THOMAS C. LUCIE, OLE STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT.

FOLDING AUTOMOBILE OIL-GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente -p e 1a,{19 1, 235

Application filed March 14, 1917'. Serial No. 154,795.

@To all whom 25 may concern:

citizen Be it ,;l, ;nown that I, THOMAS C. Loon, a of-s.the United States, residing at Stratford, Fairfield county, State of Confuil Invention biles, arts necticut, have xfacilitate the compact packaging and ship ping of the device.

In the accompanyingdrawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way an illustratiyeveinbodiment' of this invention, H Figure :1 is a. side elevation, parts being shown insectioriillustrating the application of fthe gageydevice' to a Ford automobile.

Fig: h0-Ws part of the gage in its folded :shi'p mg position; and

or $1 Eigflfiqi-sanothr View showing the entire I an;

support-Qthe' other parts of the device.

folded gtage ki evice. v

ads in dicatedgin Fig. 1 the gagedevice beforeicoinpiete:assembly may comprise atubula-r float or gage chamber 9 constructed, *-r-if..-desired, with a screw connected cap or top l2tto Which'the' tube 14 is screwed or otherwise secured in any suitable way. This oiljchalnber may be conveniently connected toj-themotor casing 3 by unscrewingfroin cour'sesimilar to the upper cock 5 secured in its test hole 4:- Then the tubular stem- '7 wh ich rna-y be permanently attached to the gage chamber may be screwed into this test hole 6,"the cap and tube being under these conditions-preferably removed from the oil chamber which is thus readily secured in positioiiiri the motor casing and rigidly held-fin relation thereto so as to properly desire'dfthe' oil cock 8 which has been remoi ed'fl'from the motor casing may be screwedinto a suitably threaded aperture, J be located in any suit able of the gage chamber" so that this such. whi ay oi lfooolc isrendered available for drainage or test purposes.

iWhen the gage chamber'has thus been mouiited on the casing the capfLZ and-:at

tachedtube 14 are screwed'thereto so that when the normal amounted lupr catingoil; is present in the motor casing?" the crank shaft and otl cr pa g1ne l the oil rises p c height in the gage chamber ingly raises a suitable which may be mounted oi a 110mm x tending within the tube 1 l, .t;h;e. upper end of this float; rod being preferably formed into a loop 3-l as indicated in l; 3. to more readily cofoiperate pxi li and a the moving parts of the indil ting The gage device preferably dial plate such as 2-5, which, Yeniently formed ofsl1ee.t 1n vided with lateral spacing -rib as to. space the body of the plate a in thei front board 31 to wliich itmay -be conyen g iently attached by onei or mo-r screwsor} bolts 32. In this wayvrth, -d plate; readily mounted in position. -o1 t h m extending, if desired, throng formed inthe footboard33 ula'rly upstanding bearing- ;l,u erably formed adjacentthe! this dial plate to'support nection bracket 17 which; this lug as by the folding p. end of this fulcrum bracket ,Ina b with -a loop or clampldadapted toi the upper end of the tube-lean curely clamped thereto a" and nut '35 shown more inzr and 3. In this way'thelemon-end: dial plate 25-and the llIJI-BQEEBIld TZ'f 14: are readily and securelgruc he'ote: s i. to be definitely spaced apar i. r-i deri ll coiie ditions and the fulcrum 'biraelietrvconn-ect ng these parts also serves tozsuppor tlre piwiibed balance lever 22 which'mayrleee'loosely-epiitm ed adjacent its central portioinabnut therfnl a e erum pin 19 in the flllGIllIITbTflCkQfi As dicated a suitable depression -26 rel-lining socket 3.5 may be formed: -ini.tlie;-i end; of; this balance lever to cooperatelmithitlae loofi 34 on the float rod which is thus auto ti cally held in alinementl becauseitan ng remain air-the lower port In or and 'this lever thus transmits th'e o'f thefloat in the chambe nil'ahl'ow indicator connections which i ed -she comprise the balance link or ther mat'erial havin i1bstantially parallel to and, connected to the:=-bal 1 pivot '23.- The uppenendadf thasabalanc link may be pivoted by the pin 27 to an nected cap adapted to be screwed to said portion of the dial plate so as ,With a suitablescale formed thereon in any nection with indicator lever 29 preferably of the rock lever type Which may be pivoted by the pin 28 on the concealed side of the dial plate next the front board having an upstanding indicating portion 29 of any suitable construction, the recurve'd end 30 of which ex tending, if desired, over the circular top to coiiperate desired way.

The oil level in the motor casing is thus visibly indicated to the operator at all times under running conditions so that it is easy to maintain the mosteflicient amount of lubricating oil in the engine. Furthermore the construction of the gage is such that the Weight of the balance link 24 connected to the balance lever 22 acts to partly counterbalance the weight of the float and float rod depending from the other end of this lever so that more accurate indications are in-' sured. At the same time the device is so constructedas to readily fold into most compact shipping condition when the clamp is removed from the tube. The fulcrum bracket under these conditions folds up about its pin 21 substantially against-the dial plate 25 and at the same time the balance lever turns about its pivot 23 into a generally similar position as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the connected end ofthe balance link projecting somewhat if desired beyond the cut-away lower portion-of the dial plate and the link and connected indicator lever automatically moving into such position that the pins 21 and 23 are substantially co-axial which promotes this folding without distortion or strain of the parts. As indicated this part of the device can then be packed up together with the gage chamber and other connected elements which are of about the same combined length and the entire device can be readily shipped and also assembled and mounted on an automobile by practically any one. Thisinvention has been described in cona number of illustrative embodiments, forms, rials. and arrangements, to the details of which a disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be .secured'by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1. The folding oil gage device adapted to be attached to a Ford or similar automobile comprising a gage chamber and connected tubular stem adapted to be screwed into an aperture in the motor casing, a tube and congage chamber,a float within said gage chamber and a connected float rod throu h said tube'and having an upper =loope end, a dial plate having lateral spacsaid tube and rod to tube,

proportions, parts, mateprojecting a balance lever pivotally mounted adjacenton said fulcrum bracket its middle portion and disengageably cooperating with: said float rod, an indicator lever mounted on said dial plate and having a visible indicator cooperating therewith and a balance link connected to said indicator lever and having its other end substantially parallel to said bearing lug and pivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket when disconnected from be folded adjacent said dial plate for shipping purposes.

2. The folding oil gage device adapted to be attached to a Ford or similar automobile comprising a \gage chamber and connected tubular stem adapted to be screwed into an aperture in the motor casing, a tube and connected'cap adapted to be screwed-to said gage chamber, a float within said gage chamber and a connected float rod projecting through said tube, a dial plate adapted to be secured to the automobile and provided with a bearing lug, a fulcrum bracket pivotally connected to said bearing lug and having a clamp at its free end adapted to be removably a balance lever pivotally mounted adjacent its middle bracket and disengageably cooperating with said float rod, an indicator lever mounted on said dial plate and having a visible indicator cooperating therewith and a balance link connected to said indicator lever and portion on said fulcrum secured to the upper end of said having its other end substantially parallel to said bearing lug and pivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket when disconnected from said tube'and rod to be folded adjacent said dial plate for shipping purposes.

- 3. The folding oil gage device adapted to be attached to a Ford or other automobile comprising a gage chamber and connected tubular supporting stem adapted to be con;

adjacent its middle portion on said fulcrum bracket and disengageably cotiperating with said float rod, device, ,an indicator mounted on said-dial plate and having a visible indicator cooperating therewith and comprising a link connected to said indicator device and having its other end substantially'parallel to said bearin member and permanently pivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket when disconnected from said tube and rod to be folded adjacent said dial plate for shipping purposes.

4. The folding oil gage device adapted to be attached to a Ford or other automobile comprising a gage chamber and connected tubular supporting stem adapted to be connected to an aperture in the motor casing, a tube and connected ca detachably connected to said age chambeigm float within said gage chain er and a connected float rod projecting through said tube, a dial plate adapted to be secured to the automobile and provided with a bearing member, a fulcrum bracket pivotally connected to said bearing member and having a securing member at its free end adapted to be removablysecured to the upper end of said-tube, a balance lever pivotally mountedadjacent its middle portion on said fulcrum bracket and disengageably cooperating with said float. rod device, an indicator device mounted on said dial plate and having a visibleindicator ,cotiperating therewith and comprising a link connected to said indicat'ordevice and having its other end substantially parallel to said bearing member and permanentlypivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket when disconnected from said tube and rod to be folded adjacent said dial plate for shipping purposes.

5. The folding oil gage device adapted to be attached to a Ford or other automobile comprising a gage chamber and connectedtubular stem adapted to be connected to an aperture in the motor casing, a tube vand conto the'automob'ile and provided with a hearing member, a fulcrmnnbracket pivotally connected to said bearing member and havmg a securing member at 1ts free end adaptedto be removably secured to the upper end of said tube, a balance lever pivotally mounted adjacent its middle portion on said fulcrum bracket and disengageably cooperating with said 'float rod, an indicator device mounted on said dial plate and having a visible indicator cooperating therewith and pivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket when disconnected from said tube and rod to be folded adjacent said dial plate for shipping purposes.

6, The folding oil gage device comprising a gage chamber and connected tubular stem adapted to be connected to an aperture in a motor casing, a tube and connected cap detachably connected to said gage chamber, a float within said gage chamber and a connected float rod projecting through said tube, a dial plate provided with a bearing member, a fulcrum bi'aclretlpivotally connected to said bearing member and having a visible indicator cooperating therewith and pivoted to said balance lever to enable said balance lever and fulcrum bracket. when disconnected from said tube and rod to be folded adjacentsaid dial plate for shipping purposes.

- THOMAS o. Lucia. 1

Witnesses \VM. C. E'I'rERsHANK, VVILLIAM B. SmeLER. 

